Pianoforte action



Jan. 17, 1928.

F. W. WAGGETT PIANOFORTE ACTION Filed May 8, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l l l l V/J w A Jan. 17, 1928.

F. W. WAGGETT PIANOFORTE ACTION Filed MayS, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 applicati@ filed 8, Sera? lo.

This invention rel tions.

The invention has ior one of its objects to provide an improved pianoforte action having means whereby the cooperation hetween the fly or jack7 and the hammer are rendered more positive nd at the saine time more delicata the sensitiveness to movement of the hammer in response to the operation of the key is increased, and the action as aiwhole can he operated and the instrument played much more rapidly than heretotore.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby a. greater unity or more positive co-operation is obtained between the key and the lower part ot the action.

Still another object 'otl the invention is to provide improved means ior Csetting oli the ily or jack and 'to prevent excessive raising or operation ot the action.

According to one feature of the invention the fly or jack and the portion ot the hammer with which said iiy or "jaclr engages are operatively and positively connected to one another hy means ot' a finger or projection providedfon the one and engaged wit-hin an aperture or loop provided on the other.

Another feature of the invention ronsists in that the connection above described is such that alter the fly or jacl7 has been operated to throv: the hammer on to the strings7 and when it is set oil, it rccedes and checks or holds the hammer in situ and its partly retracted position so long as thelrey is depressed, and then pulls or helps to positively move the hammer haelt to its normal fully retracted position when the hey is released, thus dispensing with the neces sity for the employment of the usual checkl "ehecli-hammeri tape, tapeovirei .and guard or slap rail.

According to yet another feature ol the invent-ion the key and the lower part ot the unit ot the action which said lrey engages may be positively interconnected or n interloclred with one another.

Still another feature of the invention consists in that mechanical means may loe pro-4 vided for positively causing the setting oil'" and receding movement et tie lliV77 osV jack77 into its position in which it cnechs the hammer.

The invention will now he described vfili etes to pianoforte acin Great 2li-itam August e, 13252.

'l y.. v' or au ings,

, form oi aperture member.

Figure 9 is a perspective vieiv illustrating a flexible i'orm ot aperture member.

Figure l0 is a side elevation ot a complete vrooden action unit and showing a Jfurther modified method of carrying out thev 'invern tion, and Figure tive view oif Figure 10;

Figure 1Q is a side elevation illustrating the invention applied to a. complete metal action unit; A

Figure 13 is a trent elevation of said unit; and

Figure la is a perspective vie-.v oi the set oil ot Figures l2 and 18;

Figure 15 shows another modified form ot' the apertured member;

Figure 1G illustrates in perspective suitable means for causing a positive co-operais an enlarged detail perspecseveral of the parte shovvn in tion bet-Ween a key and its corresponding action unit;

Figure 17 is a perspective vieiv oi convement means for retracting the jacln Figure i8 is a view in eleva ion, partly in section, illustrating the application of the construction as shown in Figure 16.

ln all of the ligures similar parts are designated by like reference numerals.

ln a'suitahle manner of carrying out the invention the hammer-butt may he provided with an aperture and the upper end ol the jack can he arranged to engage within said aperture in such manner as to bring about the operations above mentioned. The aperture may he of such shape that it provides a projection against .vhich the upper end of the jack operates in the usual manner to throviv the hammer ou to the strings. and that it has an extended portion which receives the' upper end ot the jack vwhen the lat er is set-ott, this portion ot the aperture being of such shape that it allows the said upper end of the jack, which upper end is preferably of similar shape to the aperture at this portion, to hold the hammer more or less irinly in partly retracted position aiterthe strings havebeen struck by the hammer. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l indicates three suitable shapes ot' the aperture at 20, 2l and 22, the projection within the aperture being indicated at 23 and the part of said aperture into which the jackij recedes being shown at 24; the lower portionsor the aperture indicated by dotted lines may be ornitted,V particularly when the aperture is formed in solid material such as in the base of a wooden hammer-butt.' The upper end 27` of the jack may be provided with a finger or projection 28 shaped to correspond with the particular shape ot the aperture, the ingers of the jacks shown in Figures 2 and 6 are shapedto correspond and co-operate with an aperture such as that indicated at 2O in Figure l. The upper end oi the.

,jack may be provided with a support at one oreach side ot' the finger or projection 28. Thus, in Figures2, a and 5 one support is provided at`29, and in Figures 3 and 4 two supports are illustrated at 29. upper endY 27 oi' the jack with or without the finger or projection thereof, may be inade of'cast, stamped or pressed sheet metal or otl metal wire and be fitted to a woodenY jack77 body as 80 in Figure 6, or it can be iol-ined integrally with the body of the jack such as shown in Figure 7. The requisite size and shape of the ingeror projection 28 may be obtained by iitting a piece of wood, leather, india-rubber, feltV or the like upon the metal upper end 27 of the jack, as in Y Figures 6 and 7, or the metal itself Amay be bentror otherwise formed to the Yrequired size and shape, such as indicated in Figures 2 and 5. it desired a` piece oi wood, leather, india-rubber, telt or thel like may be itted by means of a pin or otherwise between the supports 29V of Figures 8 andt.

The aperture of the hammer-butt with which the inger or project-ion 28 ot the jack co-operates may be iorined in or applied to said hammer-butt invarious ways;-

thus, as' indicated in Figure 6, the aperture may be out out transveresly oi-the wood base of said hammer-butt or it may be obtained by bending or otherwise shaping a piece ot metal wire or strip to the requisite shape and iiXing saine to the wooden hammer-butt. This metal piece may be in the form ot a screw-hook, the wood of theY butt forming the projection with which the Ijack cooperates, or the sa-id'inetal piece may be made as shown at 31 in Figure 8 and be` Vsecured to the wood by a` screw 32 or in any other suitable manner. in a metal action the aperture mayV be formed by suitable rhe bending or shaping a portion ci the hammer-v vmeans oi'staples or the like, or ity can be sewn in position, or the metal may be bent to form a clip which is pressed down upon the material to clanip the saine g' such a form of clipv is indicated at 3ft in Figure 8. y

Figures 6 and show the invention apL plied to wooden and inetal vactions'. respectively, and indicate the hammer-butt 26 and vthe jack 2'?, 80 in position tor striking the strings. The key. when operated, raises the in usual manner and the, latter throws the hannner forward owing tothe i'inger or projection 28 on said jack 7 pushing against the projer'tion 28. At a given inonient the set-ott 35 isvreachednnd the latter operates the heel 86 of the jack, and the tinger or projection 28 is therebjT caused to inove into the extended portion 2e ot the aperture, in which position the haininer cheulredf7 from rebounding vto the strings. and is also held in position away 'formed by a piece ot leather or other'iiexible material 3'? attached tothe base of the haminenbutt. The tleiiible material Ina-y be used by itself or itinay be within a guide such as 38.

in another inodiiication, Figures and l5, the aperture inay be oval in shape and the end et the jack may be inore or less circular. 1ffith this construction, norinallv the finger 28 rests in the portion 89 ot' the oval Ineinber et), and when the key ell is operated said finger 28 engages the upper portion 42 oi the oval and thiowsthe hainmer 4?; on to the strings Liii: when the blow has been struck the finger 28 is moved to the other end ot the oval et@ by the `action oi the set-ori jack, so that the hammer is checked and held in situ away troni the strings it and until the key eti is released` T' d nis con 'struction of the aperture, and the absence disposed l0 to 18 linger or projection 28 at the upper upon theheel 38 oi the ofthe projection Q3' of the forms of the invention iirst described, enables the blow ot the hammer to be repeated without the necessity ot' the key fully reaching its upper normal position.

It desired means, such as an adjustable screw 46, .Figure i5, may be provided ou the aperture member a0 to protrude into the aperture to vary the navement ot the linger 28 ot the jack i therein, or a. piecel ot spring seel or the like mayr be adjustably litted insidev the aperture member ttor the same purpose, or in the case when the aperture is formed within a stamped metal strip-or like member the fsaid member may be adjustable in size.

'Io obtain a greater unity or more positive Jo-operation between the key and the lower part of the act-ion with which the said key engages, the key-carriage and the portion 5l ot said lower part of the action which normally rests thereon may be interconnected or movably interlocked with one another in a suitable manner; tor instance, one of the parts may be forked or bifurcated and the other be provided with a part adapted to lit loosely over and under the fork or bifurcation. In Figure 1G- the lower portion 5l of the action is Jforked or hifurcated at 52, and the key-carriage is fitted with a screw-threaded stein 53 carrying spaced discs 5e adjustable thereon and adapted to engage above and below the 'rork or bifurcation. In a slightly modiiied construction the discs 54 may be replaced by a spool adjustable on the screwed stem 53.

The means for setting-oit" the jack 30 may be varied. In Figures 12 to lelthe setting-oli7 mechanism comprises a rocking plate 55 adjustably secured on the action rail 56, such as by means ot two set screws 5T, and carrying an arm 58 the covered end 59 of which serves as a setoli'. It' desired, and as indicated in Figure l?, the set-olf 59 or' Figures l2 to le may be substituted by a. hinged or pivoted piece 60 which inclines downwards towards the jack 7 30 and in to a guide 6l formed or titted on the ladder. A lVith this construction, as the jack rises, the rounded end 62 ol' the hinged piece 60 moves into the portion A63 ot the guide 6l and pushes the jack forwardly so that the upper end ot the jack is retracted and held in the 'forward portion of the aperture in the manner above-described, thus preventing` further raising of the action. In a slight ineditication of Figure 17 the hinged piece 60 thereof may consist simply ot' a piece ot wire, or it may have a wire projecting therefrom, and the guide 6l may be substituted by a hole formed in the jack and within which said wire engages. rl`his wire may be screw-threaded and have one or more pieces o'l wood or other suitable material adjustablv fitted thereon. TWhen these means `tor positive y operating and retracting the jackf by the set-oit are employed, the. ack heel and spring usually utilized, such as indicated in Figures l2 and lil, may be dispensed with.

rlhe seusitiveness oi the damper t-lmay le .nhanceih and its operation positively ensured, by means olf av thin wire spring o5 acting upon the damper-rod C5 through the medium of a felt or other collar 67, said collar bei-ng adapted to slide on the; said rod and thus provide aV movable connection between the latter and theY upper end ot' the spring.

The drawings illustrate the invention applied to actions for vertical pianos or instruments, but the invention is equally applicable to grand or horizontal pianos or instruments in which the strings are struck from below or from above.

What I claim is zl, In a, pianoforte action, a hammer provided with a closed loop projection having an extended portion, a jack having a laterallyY odset finger to cooperate with said loop, said linger being directly and loosely arranged within the loop and operative to engage the upper portion of the loop when the jack is operated and to recede into the extended portion ot the loop when the jack is set ott.

2. In a pianoforte action, a hammer provided with a closed loop projection having an extended portion, and a. jack having a. laterally offset linger to cooperate with said loop, said linger being directly and loosely arranged within the loop and operative to engage the upper' portion of the loop when the jack is operated and to recede into the extended portion of the loop when the jack is set 0H, said loop including a lower portion into which the finger ot' the jack recedes and engages to pull the hammer back to its normal position.

3. In a p'anotorte action, a hammer provided with a closed loop projection ot oval form, and a jack having a laterally offset substantially circular linger to cooperate with said loop, said finger being directly and loosely adjusted within the loop said nger engaging the upper portion of the loop when the jack is operated and receding into an extended portion ot the loop when the ack is set oil.

il. A pianoforte action including a hainmer, a jack, an operative connection between the jack and hammer and means tor setting oil, the jack including a plate rocking` about a bearing on the action rail for adjustment, means cooperating` with the respective ends ot' the plate to hold said plate in adjustable rocked position, and an arm integral with the plate to cooperate with the jack 'tor setting oit the latter.

f mer, a jack, an operative connection bctween the j ack and the hammer, and means for setting off the jack including a plate having a rocking bearing on the action rail Vand terminally formed with slots,' screws passing through the slots and taking intol the action raii for adjusting the plate on its rocking bearing, and an arm integral With the plate to cooperate with the jack for set-y ting otf the latter. Y l

6. A pianoforte action including a hammer, a jack, an operative connection between the jack and the hammer, anal means for setting ofin the jack Vincluding a plate hav- Lefseasas` inernber carried by the tree end ot the arm and a guicle'carriecl by the jack with which said member cooperates.

7. A pianoforte action including keycarriage, the key-carriage being fittedV with spaced discs and an action unithaving a forked portion to operate between said discs.v

VIn testimony Vwhereof I have hereunto signed my name. l

` FREDERCK WILHM WAGGETT,r

on its rockingY 

